Garnett Genuis
Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta · Conservative · Canada
“It is getting increasingly harder for young people to find their first job, and for young families to afford their first home and be able to afford to take those critical steps forward in life.”
“I look forward to talking to people and listening to them over the summer. I would encourage colleagues from all parts of the country to also listen to, respect and try to understand the concerns Albertans have.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his kind words. Indeed, I would welcome him, and all members of this House from all parties, to come to Alberta this summer. Let me know. I would be happy to host. Members could spend some time talking to people in our province to understand some of their concerns.”
“This plan includes vital reforms to parental leave to make it easier for parents who are trying to start a family, maintain a connection to work and earn an income at the same time.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to extend my best wishes for the summer to all colleagues from all sides. We have fought hard for our constituents, for our convictions and to advance the common good of this country.”
“We have always sought to be productive and constructive by putting forward these good ideas and asking the government to adopt them. Therefore, as we face these ongoing challenges, an affordability crisis and a youth unemployment crisis, will the government take a serious look at what we have put forward, including the Conservative youth…”
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“Madam Speaker, this is an important public safety bill before the House. I do want to ask a question about money laundering and foreign interference. The fact is that a lot has been written about foreign interference in the member's riding in particular. Kenny Chiu, a Conservative member of Parliament in the 43rd Parliament, championed the adoption of a foreign influence registry. Much has been written and revealed about how Kenny Chiu was targeted by the United Front of the CCP because of his advocacy on a foreign influence registry. Although there has been broader adoption and recognition of the importance of that concept, he really was a pioneer on that.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member on his excellent work on this. One of the things I noticed while talking to people in my riding and in other places during the election was how frustrating it is for people who work in law enforcement when they see the failures on crime of the Liberal government. There are people who go out and work hard every day, risking their lives to try to keep the rest of us safe. When they catch someone involved in crime, very often they are released on bail, even if it is a repeat violent offender. I wonder if the member can share a little about how the approach the Liberals have taken is impacting law enforcement and what the response has been to the actions of the government by those who work on the front lines.”
“I think Canadians would be very disappointed by their behaviour today. In any event, it is important in the rules that the time be respected.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Respectfully, I was having a look at the clock during the repeated interruptions and points of order from the government. An hon. member: That is not a point of order. Garnett Genuis: It is a point of order. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the clock was continuing to run during those points of order, but the clock should have been stopped to have 15 minutes for petitions. I would be concerned if the government whip were able to stop members from presenting petitions by repeatedly running out the 15-minute petition clock with these spurious points of order. I wonder if we can review and add a little time, based on the interruptions to petitions, which should have led to the stopping of the time, by the government House leader and the government whip.”
“Mr. Speaker, having concluded the Venezuela petition, I have one more petition to table, and this is with respect to proposals to extend euthanasia to include minors. The petitioners raise concern about a proposal to allow babies from birth to one year of age who have come into the world with severe deformities and very serious syndromes to have euthanasia. The petitioners say that the proposal for the legalized killing of infants is deeply disturbing to many Canadians. They call on the Government of Canada to block an attempt to allow the killing of children.”
“Mr. Speaker, if the member for Kingston and the Islands had run for Speaker, he certainly would have been somewhere on my ballot. I will not say where, but he would have been somewhere on my ballot. I believe that it is important to summarize petitions and that we can read individual words, but we cannot read the petition into the record in its entirety, and that is precisely the rule that I have followed.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will finish summarizing this one, and I am almost done. I know that we do have limited time here, and there are a number of other members who will table petitions. The petitioners note that at least three of 257 political prisoners have close family members here in Canada. The petitioners call on the government to advocate for the release of political prisoners in Venezuela with close ties to Canada. In particular, they mention the following names: Ígbert José Marín Chaparro and Oswaldo Valentín García Palomo. An hon. member: Point of order. Garnett Genuis Mr. Speaker, I am reading the names of political prisoners. I did not have them memorized. Can I read off the page?”
“Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, the rules are, as I think the member knows but misstated, that members cannot read an entire petition. Members are to summarize the petition, and in the course of that, reading from prepared notes that one has that relate to the petition is perfectly allowed. Historically, there was a time when members could not read anything in the House of Commons—”
“Mr. Speaker, I am doing my best to summarize. People have put a lot of work into a fairly lengthy petition on a very serious international human rights issue, and they were waiting throughout the government's—”
“The petitioners note that several international organizations, including a Canadian NGO, the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, led by former Canadian justice minister Irwin Cotler, have recognized the unjust incarcerations, torture, forced disappearances and political persecution—”
“Mr. Speaker, the next petition I am tabling deals with the human rights situation in Venezuela, a situation that many members of Parliament have spoken about over the years. The petitioners say that the current government is aware of crimes against humanity by the Venezuelan government and has created a family-based humanitarian program for Colombians, Haitians and Venezuelans suffering under current country conditions. The petitioners note that Canada was one of six countries that submitted Venezuela to the ICC, denouncing crimes against humanity as defined by the Rome Statute.”
“Mr. Speaker, the next petition I am tabling deals with euthanasia, or medical assistance in dying. The petitioners are concerned that allowing medical assistance in dying for those with disabilities or chronic illness who are not dying devalues their lives and tacitly endorses the notion that life with disability is optional and, by extension, dispensable. They note in this petition that many disability advocates in Canada have expressed opposition to allowing MAID for people with disabilities. The petitioners' ask to the House today is to protect all Canadians whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable by prohibiting medical assistance in dying for those whose prognosis for natural death is more than six months.”
“The government House leader does not want to hear this, but it is an important petition. I hope he will take note of it and support this important bill. The petitioners call upon the House of Commons to adopt Bill S-210 , which is now Bill S-209 , the protecting young persons from exposure to pornography act.”
“Mr. Speaker, the next petition I am tabling deals with a bill that was previously named Bill S-210 and has been reintroduced in this Parliament as Bill S-209 . The petitioners are calling for meaningful age verification for those accessing sexual material online. They note that the consumption of sexually explicit materials by young persons is associated with a range of serious harms, including the development of pornography addiction, the reinforcement of gender stereotypes, the development of attitudes favourable to harassment and violence, etc.”
“The petitioners therefore call on the Government of Canada to engage Eritrean political and human rights activists and pro-democracy groups, to take a leading role among western allies to challenge the Eritrean dictator's malicious conspiracy with Vladimir Putin, to investigate foreign interference here in Canada, to strengthen sanctions against human rights abusers and to advocate for the release of all imprisoned journalists and imprisoned Eritrean parliamentarians.”
“Mr. Speaker, the next petition is with respect to the human rights situation in Eritrea. The petitioners note that Eritrea has been ruled by an authoritarian, brutal dictator, under a totalitarian system for the last 30 years, with no constitution, no elections, no parliament, no freedom of press or freedom of movement and association. There are many different points made in the petition about the human rights situation in Eritrea; there are also concerns raised about foreign interference and the collaboration of the Eritrean government with the Putin regime.”
“They say we must stop crime, not by banning hunting rifles but by being tough on criminals and strengthening the border. The petitioners want the House to build more homes, fix the budget, stop the crime, reduce taxes—”
“Mr. Speaker, it was not difficult for me. I got two-thirds of the votes of my constituents, so I have a strong mandate to share— Some hon. members: Oh, oh! Garnett Genuis: Mr. Speaker, the petitioners have observed, and I share their views without comment, that Canada has fewer homes per capita than any other G7 country, and that there is too much red tape. Just to generally summarize, they are suggesting that we incentivize municipalities to allow the construction of more homes. They also express concern about the need to cap population growth and about the out-of-control immigration system. Further, the petitioners say that we need to fix the budget with a law that would require government to find one dollar of savings for every new dollar of spending.”
“Mr. Speaker, I must confess that it has been a difficult six months for me not being in this place. I missed everyone, but especially the member for Kingston and the Islands. An hon. member: The end of April was particularly difficult.”
“There are 1,800 homeless people in encampments across Ontario; this has never happened before. This is the type of thing we would see in third world countries. People are dying in these encampments. Gun violence is up 120%, yet we have a government that goes after hunters while letting criminals and gun smugglers go free. The petitioners want to see a reduction in taxes so servers, truck drivers and plumbers can work more, earn more and earn powerful paycheques. For this to happen, people need a roof over their head. They say that Canada has fewer homes per capita than any other G7 country. There is too much red tape. We need to incentivize municipalities to speed up—”
“Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to present petitions in the House today. The first petition comes from the last Parliament, but I think it is one that is still very much relevant. The petitioners point out that Canada made us all a promise, a promise that anyone from anywhere could do anything. They say that, after nine years, the promise of Canada has been broken, that we have seen a lot of promises broken. They say the promise to balance the budget was broken. The promise to reduce taxes on the middle class was broken. The promise to build more affordable housing was also broken. Petitioners say that many hard-working Canadians who are 35 years old are living in their parents' basement. This never happened before the government came along with policies that have doubled housing costs.”
“He says the government will be there. Does he recognize that the government needs to face up to its own failures and address the issue of forest management, which was barely mentioned in his speech?”
“Mr. Speaker, I welcome the new member to the House. For his benefit and that of others who are new, I want to do a quick walk down memory lane. There have been Conservatives in the House who have been warning about the problems of bad forest management for a very long time. I will give as one example Jim Eglinski, former Conservative member for Yellowhead, who asked a question on June 16, 2017. Highlighting the pine beetle infestation, he said: Much of the forest is dead or dying. The dead trees are a tremendous fuel load that present a significant risk to the community of Jasper. Residents are concerned for their own safety and that of the visitors... Will the member recognize that this question, asked eight years ago and not responded to, shows what a failure the government has been on forest management?”
“They always want to focus on other things, and it is because they have failed. Could my colleague comment on the lack of even a mention of forest management from the Liberal benches in tonight's debate and what needs to be done differently going forward?”
“Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be able to comment on this very important debate on the forest fires this country is facing. It is interesting, listening to those in the Liberal government talk during this debate. They try to focus in on the things over which they have the least control, and they do not want to talk about the things that are actually their responsibility that have gone very badly. It is typical, really. Forest management in this country has been woefully inadequate under the Liberal government. I can think back to Conservative members who have specifically raised issues, for instance, around the pine beetle and its impact on forests. Those members have warned all of us about the action needed, yet Liberals have failed to take action. There is such a gap in discussion around forest management by the Liberals.”
“Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank the member for her powerful words about anti-Semitism. My grandmother was a Holocaust survivor. I remember hearing, when I was growing up, some of the stories she would share with us about her experiences. It is very dark to see some of the things that have happened in this country and other western countries around the world. I did want to ask the member about youth unemployment, the rise we are seeing and what she is seeing in particular in her riding in terms of the unemployment crisis that is going on right now.”
“Mr. Speaker, we hear a lot of this talking point about the strongest economy in the G7. The reality is that youth unemployment of over 14% is really killing opportunities for young people. We are headed into a summer without summer jobs for so many. The lack of private sector job growth is killing opportunity for the next generation. In that context, why can the government not offer a budget that shows what it is going to do to reverse its failures on youth unemployment?”
“Mr. Speaker, the minister has sat around the cabinet table for more than 10 years, and unemployment is steadily going up. It is actually at the highest point it has been in 10 years, outside of the COVID period. We have an unemployment crisis, and the Liberals are making things worse with another outrageous spending bill. The Prime Minister wants to spend even more than Justin Trudeau. How can they ask Parliament for another $400-billion blank cheque with no budget, no plan for jobs and no plan to address the pain that their policies have caused?”
“Mr. Speaker, our most important job is probably our first job, because it starts us on the road to our career, but after 10 years of Liberal failures, that road is blocked for one in seven Canadian young people. This is already an unemployment crisis, with 100,000 more job losses coming. Rather than address this crisis, the Liberals continue to waste billions on consultants, a $6-billion increase. Why are they choosing a great job market for elite Liberal insiders and consultants and a terrible job market for Canadian young people?”
“Mr. Speaker, on this point of order, we frequently have reason to object to the responses we receive from seasoned government ministers, given the fact that we ask questions in the House and government ministers who have been elected for a very long time stand up and say things that have absolutely no relationship to the topic or the question being asked. Therefore, I find it a little surprising that we see a new standard being invented in relation to questions and comments for a new member that is not being applied to ministers of the Crown. If you wish to require ministers of the Crown to answer questions from the opposition, though, I think that would be great, and I would look forward to that.”
“The petitioners call on the government and the Prime Minister to advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of Tibetan political prisoners, who have been detained for exercising their right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression and freedom of religion, and to place sanctions on five PRC officials responsible for serious human rights violations in Tibet. Their names are as follows: Chen Quanguo, Zhang Qingli, Wu Yingjie, Wang Yang and Qizhala, a.k.a. Che Dalha.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition about the very important human rights situation in Tibet. The people of Tibet have a unique and distinct cultural, linguistic and religious heritage that has been increasingly endangered since Tibet was annexed by the People's Republic of China in 1951. Reports from human rights organizations have documented serious and ongoing human rights abuses in Tibet, including extreme restrictions on freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. Further, many Tibetan political prisoners, including those engaged in peaceful protests, as well as Buddhist monks and nuns, are detained unjustly and subject to brutal and violent treatment.”
“The petitioners call on the House to uphold all UN Security Council resolutions on Cyprus and condemn Turkey's ongoing illegal occupation of northern Cyprus; to advocate for the complete and immediate withdrawal of Turkish troops; to ensure no Canadian arms, military equipment or technology is sold to Turkey or used against Cyprus or other oppressed groups; to continue rejecting the recognition of the illegal occupation; and to advocate for a free, united Cyprus based on relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the European Union's statements.”
“This community, throughout the world and in Canada, marked the 50th anniversary of this tragic invasion last year and is calling for justice, freedom and human rights for the Cypriot people. There are various other aspects mentioned, including UN Security Council resolutions calling for an end to the occupation of Cyprus.”
“Mr. Speaker, if you will indulge me, as this is my first time rising in this place, I want to congratulate you on your election and thank the people of my community for their trust. I am limiting myself to one petition today, which is on behalf of Canada's strong Cypriot community. The community has brought this petition to the attention of the House noting that the Turkish military invasion of Cyprus in 1974 was illegal and brutal, resulting in the ongoing occupation of 37% of the island and 57% of its coastline. This occupation has led to significant human rights violations, including a loss of life, the displacement of thousands of Cypriots and the ongoing presence of Turkish military forces at illegal settlements.”